Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary

JAPANESE

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I am sorry to have kept you waiting. First, let me report on the latest situation.

The first thing I want to announce involves a personnel appointment. As of today's date, a decision has been taken to appoint Professor Toshiso Kosako, a professor in the graduate school at the University of Tokyo, as Special Advisor to the Cabinet. Professor Kosako possesses outstanding insight and expertise in the field of radiation safety, and will provide information and advice to the prime minister on the ongoing incidents at the nuclear power stations.

In our response to these events, we have been drawing on the expertise of numerous specialists from the Nuclear Safety Commission and the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, and from university faculty and others in the private sector as well. My understanding is that a decision was taken to appoint someone in an official capacity in order to properly harness the knowledge and expertise of these specialists.

Next, a report on the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.

First of all, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has today begun monitoring radiation levels in an area a short distance outside the 20km evacuation area around the power station. A more detailed announcement regarding the exact contents of this monitoring will be made directly by the ministry. Also, I think it is appropriate that a detailed, precise evaluation of the data should be made by specialists from the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency and the Nuclear Safety Commission. But I can provide a brief summary report to the effect that the levels of radioactivity measured and reported today are not sufficient to have an immediate effect on human health.

We have issued instructions asking people to remain indoors, and to evacuate from an area 20km around the station if anyone still remains within that area. However, please understand that the levels of radiation that have been recorded would not pose an immediate risk to someone carrying out activities outside, even within this area. I would ask you all to understand this fact.

I repeat: According to the preliminary summary issued by specialists based on data obtained from radiation monitoring carried out today by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the levels detected do not pose an immediate risk to human health.

Although these numbers might cause problems for someone who remained outside 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in a location experiencing these levels of radiation, someone carrying out activities in the area over the course of a few hours, or several days, is at no risk. I want to reassure you on this point.

In this context, I have received reports that water spraying operations aimed at cooling the plant have started up again partially since late this afternoon with the cooperation of the relevant organizations. At the moment everyone on the scene is doing their utmost to bring about conditions in which cooling can be carried out in a stable manner.

Consequently, as I said earlier, the figures detected by radiation monitoring in an area between 20 and 30km of the power station are not on a level that would have any effect on human health simply from entering the area. There has been a great deal of overreaction, and as an emergency request from the governor of Fukushima Prefecture, I would ask the relevant parties to continue distribution of goods and supplies. We have received reports that a situation is arising in which, chiefly in the private sector, supplies are not reaching people in some areas, even though these areas lie outside the area in which we have instructed people to remain indoors.

I want you to understand that even inside the area where we have called for people to remain indoors, the levels are not sufficient to have any immediate effect on the health of someone carrying out activities outdoors, even inside this area. This is even more the case in areas beyond 30km from the power station. The majority of Iwaki city, for example, lies in an area more than 30km away from the site, and I ask you please to continue to carry out regular shipments and distribution to people in these areas.

At the moment the Self-Defense Forces and other organizations are doing everything they can to get supplies directly to areas affected by the earthquake and tsunami. It is highly regrettable that reports have come in that this kind of thing is happening even in areas where there are no problems in security distribution of goods by the private sector, and I would ask you please for your cooperation in this matter.

That is all from me for now.

This is all I have to report to you at this point.